[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 60 (Wednesday, May 13, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E845]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              HONORING THE BROOKLYN CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER

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                          HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 13, 1998

  Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join Innovations in American 
Government, an awards program of the Ford Foundation and Harvard 
University's John F. Kennedy's School of Government in partnership with 
the Council for Excellence in Government, in commending the exciting 
efforts of Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center (BCAC) in creating a program 
which put children first.
  Innovations in American Government is recognized as one of the most 
prestigious public awards in the country. Innovations awards and 
recognizes programs and policies that represent original and effective 
government initiatives. The Brooklyn Child Advocacy Center is among the 
100 semifinalists for the award this year. BCAC is an inter-agency 
partnership that brings together all the jurisdictional agencies 
responsible for the investigation and prosecution of child sexual 
abuse.
  Traditionally, the investigation of child sexual abuse meant multiple 
interviews with multiple professionals, disclosing the abuse to three 
separate agencies. Through the creation of BCAC, previous practices 
have changed dramatically. When children disclose sexual abuse, they 
are brought to the BCAC, a child-friendly environment, instead of 
police precincts, emergency rooms, and municipal offices. At the 
Center, specialized units of each agency's staff work together in a 
coordinated, multidisciplinary team approach.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Brooklyn Child Advocacy 
Center for all of its achievements and hard work to meet the needs of 
children who have been victimized.

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